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The Issue Francophone students in minority language settings in Canada, particularly in Ontario, tend to achieve results significantly below those of anglophone students on national and international assessments. Francophone students in minority language settings in Canada, particularly in Ontario, tend to achieve results significantly below those of anglophone students on national and international assessments.

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Research Questions 1.Are the following factors associated with the achievement of francophone students in a minority language setting on the TIMSS-R 1999? a) Student characteristics b) Teaching practices c) Assessment practices d) Use of information and communications technologies (ICT) 2.What are the interactions among these factors and the students’ achievement in mathematics on TIMSS-R 1999?

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Results Structural Equation Modelling CFI: TLI: RMSEA: Expectations of mother Expectations of peers Expectations of student Employment expectations University expectations Math for pleasure Importance in life Mother’s education level Father’s education level Educational level of parents Being gifted Having good luck Success attributed to beliefs Much work Memorization Success attributed to hard work Computer at home Modem at home Internet at home Computer technology at home Likes mathematics Math is easy Good at math Math is hard for me No talent for math Not my best subject Attitude toward mathematics Computer (classroom) Software (classroom) Computer (school) Software (school) ICT at school R 2 : Achievement in Mathematics Student Characteristics and Use of ICTs Expectations and values ICT in the classroom

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Frequency of homework Exercises Problems from the textbook Reading the textbook Traditional types of homework Project in groups Real applications Alternative types of homework Small research project Working alone/with teacher Computer Working alone or with the teacher Work in large group Large group interactions Working all together in a group Computer used by teacher Work in small groups Alternative teaching methods* Teacher explains rules Teacher gives examples Achievement in Mathematics Results Structural Equation Modelling Teaching Practices Length of homework Individual project Oral reports Keeping a diary Projects in small groups Overhead projector - student Teacher explains problem Traditional teaching methods* * As perceived by the student R 2 : CFI: TLI: RMSEA: 0.128

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Conclusions The CFA and SEM models combining student characteristics and ICT use result in excellent fit indices. These models would explain 52% of Ontario’s French- language minority students’ achievement in mathematics on TIMSS-R The factor that has the most influence on student achievement is students’ attitudes toward math followed by the attribution of success to beliefs (ability, luck). Traditional and alternative instructional practices seem to have an opposite impact on student achievement in math (to be continued…).

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Study Limitations Sample size Background questionnaires Problems associated with the analysis of categorical variables Distribution of variables (asymmetry and kurtosis) Little variance in the achievement variable for some classes due to their small size Nested effect of variables not taken into account with these types of analyses

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On a more positive note… Useful and significant results Presentations of results at various conferences Contribution to the pool of knowledge on large- scale assessments Establishment of a learning assessment research unit